My shop started like many others that I have read about in this column. I retired and we decided to downsize our housing, so I made sure we would be able to build a nice workshop, or my "manshed" as we like to call it. For years I worked out of my garage with every tool being used and then put away for the next cut. My assembly bench was the tailgate of my truck.

My manshed is 26x32 feet with 8'6" walls and I used scissor trusses to give a 12" center height. It is built with a wooden floor and is fully insulated. I don't have permanent heating and cooling yet but space heaters and an AC window unit work ok for the time being. I have many tool stands to build and everything will be on wheels so I can move things as needed.

I mainly build things that friends and family need, but I hope to get my skills good enough to make some nice things in the future.

The center of the main work area. The workbench is at the same height as the saw so it can be the run off area. The router table on the workmate is one of the many tools that need a cabinet made so it will also be at the same height as the saw.

Most of my major tools are collected from relatives that have passed. The back of the shop is still not organized. There are many boxes of stuff that I need to sort through and decide what I want to keep.

The cart on the left has the lathe, scroll saw, and grinder that I got from my dad.

The radial arm saw was the first tool that I bought myself in 1972. The bandsaw was the first tool that I bought for my manshed. I had always wanted one but never had the room.

A panoramic shot of the major area.

The left wall is the wood racks. I've moved some of the wood six times over the past few years and now I just need to learn how to make nice things.

The workbench was the first thing I built. It is about 42" x 72" and built out of a piece of bowling lane.

This is a working model of a trebuchet I made for the son of a friend.

After getting my dad's old wood lathe cleaned up and working, I made an effort at my first turning project.

This windmill was made for my grandson, since he loves things that spin. It is about 11 feet tall.

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